Preparation for the Change

It is interesting that the fifteenth chapter of the Book of First Corinthians does not mention the catching up. Since this chapter is referred to sometimes as the “Resurrection Chapter,” you would think the catching up (often referred to as a “rapture”) of the resurrected, or “changed” believers, would at least be alluded to. But it is not. The Important aspect of the resurrection from the dead is the “change” in the body; not what happens to it after that.

Why have we of today ignored the “change” and focused on the catching up? Is it because we are ignorant of the importance of the resurrection, the change, in the plan of salvation?

(3/23/2008) We had a play in the morning (Easter Sunday) that was a blessing to everyone. God really was present!

In the evening, Valerie told of how the Lord has been dealing with her. Again, God was present. Bill Ott intends to post on the Pastor’s Page what Valerie said. Also, if it works out, I will try to put the text of what Valerie said, somewhere on our site, and put a link to it. It really is right on!

Meanwhile I will fill up space here with an essay on the nature of the resurrection of the bodies of the victorious saints, seeing as how it is Easter and all.

Only the victorious saints will be resurrected, or changed, at the next appearing of Christ. The weaker believers will be resurrected at the general resurrection of the dead, at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, according to my understanding at this time.

When Christ returns He will bring with him the victorious saints of all ages, beginning with Abel, I believe.

Included in this first resurrection will be the “change” in the bodies of the victorious saints who are alive on the earth at that time.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (I Corinthians 15:51-53)

“We will not all sleep.” That is, some will be alive when the Lord appears.

“We will all be changed.” Whether we have just appeared with the Lord from the spirit world, or are living on the earth at the time, we all will be “changed.”

What is the nature of the change? It is that our mortal body will “clothe itself” (an interesting expression!) with immortality.

Obviously, this change occurs prior to our being caught up together (the returned plus the present saints) to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. From there we shall return on the white war-stallions and work with Christ in the task of establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth.

I guess what I have just written is clear enough from the Scriptures, so I will move now to the point of this brief essay, which is, preparation for the change in our body.

The last enemy that shall be overcome is physical death. We have to overcome all other enemies before we are eligible for the change in our body.

According to the Apostle Paul, if we live in the desires of our fallen nature we will die, that is, not attain to the redemption of our body. If, however, we put to death the desires of our fallen nature we will live, that is, be qualified and competent to receive the redemption of our mortal body when the Lord appears.

Jesus cautioned us to “remember Lot’s wife.” This is because experiencing the change from a mortal body to an immortal body, while we still are on the earth going about our business, is a very radical happening.

Picture so many of today’s professing Christians. It is Super Bowl Sunday. They are sitting in church, but their mind is on who is winning the big game. The moment the sermon is finished and the concluding hymn is sung, they rush home and turn on their television.

Worse yet, they may be watching the game on a big screen in the sanctuary. This is what the National Football League is permitting, I understand.

Let’s says the score is tied. The game has gone into overtime.

Suddenly the trumpet blows, and it is time for their bodies to be clothed with immortality. Such a change will require an inward nature that already has been accustomed to living by the resurrection power of Christ. The inward nature must be able to receive the outward change. New wine cannot be put in old bottles, Jesus told us.

Now I ask you: “How many believers do you know who could instantly forget the Super Bowl game and prepare themselves mentally to pass from flesh-and-blood life to Holy-Spirit-driven life? All of this without a thought of their loved ones? All of this without a thought of those loved ones who are not in church at this time?”

Then, when the catching up comes, their eyes have to be fastened on Jesus as they leave all that is familiar and rise up into the air to be with Jesus and to be placed on the back of their white war-stallion, ready to come against all the forces of evil in the earth.

Now I ask you again: “How many believers do you know who are ready to forget about all of their things, circumstances, and relationships, and rise to meet Christ in the air?”

I don’t think the majority of American professing Christians are prepared for this. Am I mistaken? If I am not, then it is cruel and unconscionable for today’s pastors to assure their listeners that at any moment they will be caught up to Heaven and never have a worry thereafter.

Perhaps you don’t agree with me; but I have given a lot of thought to this, after 62 years as a Christian. There simply is no basis in the Scriptures, Old or New Testament, or in reasonable thinking, for today’s preaching of the “any moment, pre-tribulation rapture” of every person who has made a profession of belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As this were not enough to raise a warning about today’s “any-moment-rapture” teaching, the Apostle Paul, when giving the clearest of al statements concerning his goal as a disciple of Christ, exclaimed: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10,11)

“To attain to the resurrection from the dead”!

Since we know from the teaching of the Lord that all shall hear His voice and come forth from the dead, it must be that Paul is speaking of the resurrection that will occur when the Lord Jesus appears from Heaven. There is no need to attain to the general resurrection, which will take place at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age.

But the resurrection of the victorious saints that will occur when Christ is next revealed must be attained to. We attain to this prior resurrection by following the Apostle Paul in counting all things loss in order to gain Christ, not having the righteousness that occurs by obeying the Law of Moses but the righteousness that is gained by setting aside all else, denying ourselves, and patiently bearing our cross after the Master.

There is coming to the United States a season of very great trouble. Only those who prepare themselves today by seeking Christ earnestly will be able to save themselves and their loved ones, and others as Christ directs them.

We are not going to be caught up to meet the Lord in order to escape being harmed by the coming Divine judgment on America. There simply is no scriptural basis for claiming that the purpose of our being caught up is to escape Antichrist or the Great Tribulation. After we have been changed into immortality, neither Antichrist nor the Great Tribulation can possibly harm us. Isn’t that true?

If we have prepared ourselves adequately, we are going to be changed into immortality and join with the saints who return with the Lord, as we all are caught up together to get ready to take part in the attack against Antichrist and the setting up of the promised Kingdom of God on the earth.